Spring bed support



Sept. 19, 1967 s. INGILDSEN SPRING BED SUPPORT Filed Feb. 1, 1966 INVENTOR. .SVA-IV lNG/LDSEW BY United States Patent 3,341,868 SPRING BED SUPPORT Sven Ingildsen, 1042 Pomeroy Ave, Santa Clara, Calif. 95051 Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,105 7 Claims. (Cl. 317) The present invention relates to beds, and pertains more particularly to a tilt-up support for a bed which facilitates cleaning thereunder.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved, tilt-up mounting support for a bed which permits one side of the bed to be easily tilted upwardly and to remain supported in such condition while cleaning thereunder, and then to permit easy return of the bed to its normal, downswung position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cantilever base support under one side of the bed with spring biased linkage which partially counter-balances the Weight of the bed in its normal, downswung position to permit the other side of the bed to be easily tilted upwardly for cleaning thereunder, and which supports the bed in such upwardly tilted relation during the cleaning operation.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of twin beds mounted on a tilt-up support mechanism embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, end elevational view showing the left hand twin bed of FIG. 1 and a portion of the other bed, both being in their normal, downswung position.

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing a portion of one of the cantilever base members and a pair of coil tension springs connected thereto.

Briefly, the illustrative form of the present invention comprises a pair of cantilever base members and 11 mounted transversely beneath the head and foot, respectively, of a pair of twin beds A and B and having a single, overall mattress C thereon. Each twin bed has an angle iron frame 12 with support legs 13 and 14. Linkage D interconnects each of the cantilever .base members 10 and 11 to each bed frame 12, and spring means 15 biases each linkage D so that when the bed with which it is associated is in its normal, downswung position as shown at the right hand side of FIG. 1, and on both sides in FIG. 2, the spring means 15 partially counter-balances the weight of the bed so as to facilitate tilting it to its upswung condition shown at the left in FIG. 1, and resiliently supports the bed when in its upswung position.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail; each of the twin beds A and B has a box spring 16 thereon, with the single, large size mattress C covering both box springs. In this illustrative structure, each of the beds A and B is tiltable upwardly and returnable back downwardly independently of the other.

The tilting support mechanism of the present invention comprises the two double cantilever base members 10 and 11, which are mounted in spaced, parallel relation, one near the head and one near the foot of the .bed to be supported.

Each of the base members is of inverted T shaped metal, with a higher central portion 17, and elongated outer portions 19 and 18 extending oppositely therefrom. Since the two beds A and B are identical, the same reference numerals will be used for corresponding parts of both thereof, with the exception that those of the right hand bed B are distinguished by the addition of the prime Only the parts of the bed A will be described in detail.

The bed frame 12 is of usual, recangular, angle iron construction, with side rails 20 and 21 and rigidly secured cross members 22 and 23. Each frame 12 is supported in its normal, lowered position on the outer legs 13 and inner legs 14, each of the latter being provided with a roller 24 to prevent it from scraping on the floor or carpet during raising or lowering of the bed. Each of the cross frame members 22 and 23 lies above, and parallel to, one of the cantilever base members 18 and 11, respectively.

Each linkage D comprises a lever 25 pivotally connected at 27 at its upper end to its associated cross frame member 22 or 23 as the case may be at a point slightly beyond the center of the cross member from the edge of the frame 12 overlying the raised central portion 17 of its transverse frame member. A first link 28 is pivotally connected at 29 at its outer end to an intermediate point of each lever 25, the inner endof each first link 23 being pivotally connected at 30 to the elevated central portion 17 of its associated cantilever base member. A second and shorter link 31 is pivotally connected at 32 at its outer end to the lower end of each lever 25, and at 33 at its inner end to the outwardly extending portion 18 of its associated cantilever base member. A third link 34, preferably slightly longer than the distance between the upper pivotal connection 27 of the lever 25 to its associated cross frame member 22 or 23 and the pivotal connection 29 of the lever 25 to the first link 28, is pivotally connected at 35 at its upper end to its associated cross frame member 22 or 23 and at its lower end to an intermediate point 37 of the first link 28. This third link 34 supports the inner edge of the bed A over the raised central portion 17 of its base member when the bed is tilted upwardly, and also, in conjunction with the remainder of the linkage D, limits the height to which the bed can be raised.

Each spring means 15, comprises as illustrated either one or two coil springs of suitable strength connected at its outer end to posts 38 on each lever 25 substantially midway between the pivots 29 and 32, and at its inner end to posts 39 on the raised central base portion 17 above the pivotal connection 30 of the first link 28 thereto.

The operation of the illustrative tilt-up bed support mechanism is as follows: When the frame 12 with the box spring and mattress thereon are in their lowered position as shown at the right hand side of FIG. 1, the levers 25 are swung outwardly sufficiently to define an acute angle 40 relative to their respective first links 28, which angle, as illustrated, is of the order of 30. In this lowered position of the bed, the axes of the spring means 15 are almost in the same plane with the longitudinal center lines of the first links 28. In this position, therefore, only a relatively small component of the tensile force of the spring means 15 is exerted in the form of torque tending to swing the levers counter-clockwise about their pivotal connections 29 to the first links 28. This torque component, while insufiicient in itself to raise the bed, does make it easier for one to tilt the bed upwardly to its raised position as illustrated at the left in FIG. 1

As the bed is tilted upwardly and the levers 25 swing counter-clockwise toward their position illustrated at the left in FIG. 2, the angular offset between the axes of the spring means 15 and the center line of their associated first links 28 increases, so that an increasing torque component of the tensile force of the spring means is exerted in swinging the lever 25 counter-clockwise toward its upright condition shown at the left in FIG. 1. As the parts thus move toward their upwardly tilted positions, each second link 31, being shorter than its first link 28, elevates the associated lever 25, and with it the outer end of the linkage D.

Patented Sept. 19, 1967 At the same time, the third link 34 swings in a counterclockwise direction about its pivots 35 and 37 toward its position shown at the left in FIG. 1, thereby supporting the inner edge of the bed A and moving the bed relatively inwardly and downwardly so as to retain the edge of the bed over the raised portions 17 of the :base members against substantial displacement either vertically or laterally. As the bed is thus swung upwardly, the rollers 24 on the inner legs 14 are swung clear of the floor. The increased torque component of the tensile force of the spring means 15 exerted on their respective levers 25 in the elevated position of the bed shown at the left in FIG. 1 is sufficient to support the bed in its upwardly tilted position.

When it is desired to lower the bed to its normal position for use, a downward pressure is exerted on its raised outer edge sufficient to overcome the force of the spring means 15 on the levers 25.

The forces to be exerted on the linkage in the various positions thereof for most convenient support, and the height to which the bed is to be raised, are matters of design, and may be controlled by variations in the lengths of the various linkage members, the location of their various pivotal interconnections, and the strength of and location of the anchor points of the spring means, as well as the required strength of the spring means itself. Such variations and the results thereof are readily calculated, and such calculations are well within the capabilities of any routine designer or engineer having an understanding of the invention as disclosed herein.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tilt-up support for a bed to facilitate cleaning thereunder comprising:

a rigid bed frame,

legs supporting the bed frame in a normal, lowered position thereof,

a pair of cantilever base members for resting on a floor beneath the bed frame, one thereof near the foot and one near the head of the bed frame, and extending in parallel relation from beneath one edge of the bed transversely thereof to a point beyond the longitudinal center line of such bed,

a first link pivotally connected to each cantilever base member beneath said one edge of the bed and extending laterally of the bed therefrom,

a generally upright lever pivotally connected at its upper end to the bed frame and at a point spaced upwardly from its lower end to the outer end of the first link,

a second laterally extending link, shorter than the first, pivotally connected at one end thereof to the lower end of the lever and at the other end thereof to its associated cantilever base member at a point spaced outwardly from the pivotal connection of the first link thereto,

a generally upright third link pivotally connected at its lower end to a medial portion of the first link and at its upper end to the bed frame, and

spring means connected in tension from the lever at a point between its pivotal connections to the first and second links to its associated base member at a point above the pivotal connection of the first link thereto.

2. A tilt-up support for a bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring means comprises a coil tension spring with one end thereof connected to the lever at a point between the pivotal connections of the first and second links thereto, and the other end thereof connected to an associated base member above the pivotal connection of the first lever thereto.

3. A tilt-up support for a bed as claimed in claim 2 wherein, in the normal lowered position of the bed, the axis of the coil spring is at a slight acute angle to the first link, so as to exert on the lever in such position a torque component insufficient to raise the bed.

4. A tilt-up support for a bed as claimed in claim 3 wherein in the upwardly tilted position of the bed, the axis of the spring is at an angle to the first link sufiiciently great to exert on the lever a torque component sufficient to retain thebed in its upwardly tilted position.

5. A tilt-up support for a bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lengths of the lever and the third link, and the angles thereof relative to the first link throughout an upward and downward tilting movement of the bed, retains said one edge of the bed against substantial vertical and transverse movement.

6. A tilt-up support for a bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first pair of the legs are secured to said one edge of the bed frame and a second pair of the legs are secured to the other edge of the bed frame, each of the first pair of legs having a roller mounted on the lower end thereof for rolling movement parallel to the base members.

7. A tilt-up support for a bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein each spring means comprises a pair of coil springs mounted in axially parallel relation one on each side of their associated linkage, a first pair of spring support posts secured in co-axial, oppositely extending relation to each lever between its pivotal connections to the first and second links, and a second pair of spring support posts mounted one on each side of the associated base members in co-axial, oppositely extending relation, one end of each one coil spring of each pair thereof being connected to one post of the first pair thereof, and the other end of the other spring of each pair thereof being connected to the post of the second pair thereof on the same side of the first link as the post of the first pair thereof to which its said one end is connected.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 781,694 2/1905 Tandy 5150 785,220 3/1905 Knaggs 5152 1,727,025 9/ 1929 Bengston 5--164 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TILT-UP SUPPORT FOR A BED TO FACILITATE CLEANING THEREUNDER COMPRISING: A RIGID BED FRAME, LEGS SUPPORTING THE BED FRAME IN A NORMAL, LOWERED POSITION THEREOF, A PAIR OF CANTILEVER BASE MEMBERS FOR RESTIGN ON A FLOOR BENEATH THE BED FRAME, ONE THEREOF NEAR THE FOOT AND ONE NEAR THE HEAD OF THE BED FRAME, AND EXTENDING A PARALLEL RELATION FORM BENEATH ONE EDGE OF THE BED TRANSVERSELY THEREOF TO A POINT BEYOND THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF SUCH BED, A FIRST LINK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH CANTILEVER BASE MEMBER BENEATH SAID ONE EDGE OF THE BED AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE BED THEREFROM, A GENERALLY UPRIGHT LEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO THE BED FRAME AND AT A POINT SPACED UPWARDLY FROM ITS LOWER END TO THE OUTER END OF THE FIRST LINK, A SECOND LATERALLY EXTENDING LINK, SHORTER THAN THE FIRST, PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO THE LOWER END OF THE LEVER AND AT THE OTHER END THEREOF TO ITS ASSOCIATED CANTILEVER BASE MEMBER AT A POINT SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF THE FIRST LINK THERETO, A GENERALLY UPRIGHT THIRD LINK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS LOWER END TO A MEDIAL PORTION OF THE FIRST LINK AND AT ITS UPPER END TO THE BED FRAME, AND SPRING MEANS CONNECTED IN TENSION FROM THE LEVER AT A POINT BETWEEN ITS PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS TO THE FIRST AND SECOND LINKS TO ITS ASSOCIATED BASE MEMBER AT A POINT ABOVE THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF THE FIRST LINK THERETO. 